Up - Finding New Adventure (My Film Analysis of "Up) - Blu-ray Forum

chezzy62 · 12-28-2009, 07:40 PM

Up - Finding New Adventure

SPOILER WARNING

Our lives always have room for a little adventure. But there is something even more important than the adventure itself: It’s who we spend the adventure with. In “Up”, Carl Fredricksen lives his adventure alongside his wife. In the first 10 minutes of the movie, you learn about how happy he is with his wife, and how perfect the are together. Then, you see devastation. Mr. Fredricksen and his wife are crushed, when they can’t have a baby. Then, you see Carl’s devastation when his wife is taken from him. The only thing that keeps him going after his wife’s death, is one final adventure that she had always wanted to embark on: Living in South America. Mr. Fredricksen, out of love for his wife, goes on one final adventure. What he discovers along the way, is something he could never have imagined.

“Up” is both uplifting, and depressing. It can give the viewers a sense of poignancy about all of the lost time. It can also uplift people, to take a bold risk, and go on a new adventure! One of the main themes of the movie, is the ability to start fresh at any given moment.

“Thanks for the adventure. Now go have one of your own”, is Ellie’s final, posthumous message for Carl. She appreciates, and cherishes the time that they spent together. But what she really wants, is for Carl to find a new adventure. To find a new meaning in life, even though the love of his life has passed away. Isn’t this what you would want for your own family members, after you die?

Carl Fredricksen goes on an adventure, just as Ellie asked him. He ties miracle balloons to his house, and floats off to South America. Cheesy and unrealistic? Yes. But the concept is absolutely delightful! Carl sets off on his adventure, and Russell inadvertently comes along.

Russell does have an interesting story, and it is the reason for his social awkwardness. His father is no longer there for him, and it crushes Russell on the inside. His dad is ‘too busy’ to spend time with him, and any of his family members. His entire family life is slowly deteriorating, and he is just an innocent bystander. That is, until he met Carl Fredricksen.

What makes ‘Up” such a great movie, is the clash of character situations. Mr. Fredricksen is old, depressed, and trying to figure out how to live after the death of his wife. Russell is just a young boy, trying to figure out how to live without the support of his father. In a way, they are both the same character, trying to figure things out. In the end, they develop a father-son relationship, that will be remembered for a long time to come.

“Up”, is also a movie about letting go of your attachments. When most of the magical helium balloons have popped, Mr. Fredricksen is faced with a life changing decision. The only way to make the house float again, is to get rid of all of his old possessions. Everything that he and his wife shared together. After much thought and deliberation, Carl utters the most powerful quote of the movie: “It’s just a house!”. And that it is! Material items cannot hold any emotional possessions, unless we allow them to. All of the emotions that we have felt in the past, are still in our heads. A house is just a house. The difference between a house and a home, is the emotional meaning that you attach to your house. Only then, is it called, your home.

By letting go of his house, he let go of his past. Mr. Fredricksen gave himself a clean slate. He was able to do this, because he knew that his wife would approve. The movie concludes with a beautiful moment shared between Russell and Mr. Fredricksen. We see the father-son bond between the 2 characters, and we know that everything will be alright. Is the ending too much like a fairy tale? Possibly. But that doesn’t detract from the powerful message of this extraordinary film: Life begins, and life ends. We will suffer tragic loss, and we will experience incredible wins. What’s most important, is how you will react to your tragic losses. Will you break down? Or will you seek a new adventure, after an old one has passed?

Up Film Analysis

Thanks for reading! Any questions/comments?

CZAR · 12-28-2009, 07:44 PM

Yes I enjoyed up as well. I watched it last week and thought it was pretty good! Maybe not as good as people who say it should be up for picture of the year but still good nonetheless! PQ was exceptional on blu also! Got Em!!

P@t_Mtl · 12-28-2009, 07:51 PM

Saw it last Friday on my friend HT. I enjoyed it. I would not say it's my favorite Pixar but it's easy a top 5 Pixar movie. Story was interesting. I found the story of Carl to be sad but also up-lifting. It was sad his wife died but you can also see he had a long happy life with her even if their dreams of travel never really came true. It was good to see how the young Russell help's Carl see that he had a wonderful life and he should continue to enjoy it and honor his wife memory. Like The Incredibles there were very much grown-up themes in this movie that might not be understood well by children but it's a very good movie for everyone.

mikejet · 12-28-2009, 07:52 PM

Nice analysis but I think that after you watch the movie most of what you stated is pretty clear.

jono_0101 · 12-30-2009, 05:05 PM

i really enjoyed UP, i just saw it a few days ago, it was a really good story, some funny stuff in there as well as a lot of touching moments like when he finally looks past the page in his wifes book to see that she replaced the dreams of great adventures with pictures of her loving every second she spent with him (gettin a little choked up just writing it here), and i swear if my dog could talk, she would sound exactly like dug

"oh yes, i would very much like to have that ball, SQUIRREL!!!"

P@t_Mtl · 12-30-2009, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jono_0101

i really enjoyed UP, i just saw it a few days ago, it was a really good story, some funny stuff in there as well as a lot of touching moments like when he finally looks past the page in his wifes book to see that she replaced the dreams of great adventures with pictures of her loving every second she spent with him (gettin a little choked up just writing it here), and i swear if my dog could talk, she would sound exactly like dug

"oh yes, i would very much like to have that ball, SQUIRREL!!!"

That part got to me as well, my wife had a smile on her face looking at me during that scene, of course I did not cry

Truly Pixar are in a league of their own, I sometime think they are in a universe of their own.

Steelmaker · 12-30-2009, 05:52 PM

I liked Up but it did not captivate me the way Wall.E did. Plus I just thought the whole "house being lifted by balloons" was an incredibly stupid concept. I would've rather seen Carl secretly building some kind of flying machine to take off in rather than the balloon thing.

Up was good but I think Wall.E was incredible!

Gaius Marius · 12-30-2009, 09:54 PM

Very good analysis! I loved Up, and the more I watched it, the more I liked it. It is my favorite movie this year and a very good movie overall. Of course it will get snubbed come award season because it is animated

(aside from the Animation awards, of course).

jono_0101 · 12-31-2009, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steelmaker

I liked Up but it did not captivate me the way Wall.E did. Plus I just thought the whole "house being lifted by balloons" was an incredibly stupid concept. I would've rather seen Carl secretly building some kind of flying machine to take off in rather than the balloon thing.

Up was good but I think Wall.E was incredible!

the house on balloons was a little far fetched, but i dont think the movie would have worked as well if he didnt move the house, that was the point, it was his wifes dream to live at the falls, so he wanted to move the house there to honor her memory, and with the house, it would have been like she was living there in spirit, it wouldnt have been the same sentiment if he would have built some kind of machine to fly there

indianajdp · 12-31-2009, 06:28 PM

Freakin' Pixar

How in the world could they make me get so attached to a computer-animated character in just ten minutes that I would even feel a hint of emotion when she dies? That's just sick.

This is the one Pixar film that interetsted me the least, and I held of seeing it this year until the kids got the blu-ray for Christmas and we watched it on the 27th. Just another amazing story from those folks, with many moments that might make you misty-eyed or truly laughing out loud.

12-28-2009, 07:40 PM	#1
chezzy62 Member Member since:Jun 2008	Up - Finding New Adventure (My Film Analysis of "Up) Up - Finding New Adventure SPOILER WARNING Our lives always have room for a little adventure. But there is something even more important than the adventure itself: It’s who we spend the adventure with. In “Up”, Carl Fredricksen lives his adventure alongside his wife. In the first 10 minutes of the movie, you learn about how happy he is with his wife, and how perfect the are together. Then, you see devastation. Mr. Fredricksen and his wife are crushed, when they can’t have a baby. Then, you see Carl’s devastation when his wife is taken from him. The only thing that keeps him going after his wife’s death, is one final adventure that she had always wanted to embark on: Living in South America. Mr. Fredricksen, out of love for his wife, goes on one final adventure. What he discovers along the way, is something he could never have imagined. “Up” is both uplifting, and depressing. It can give the viewers a sense of poignancy about all of the lost time. It can also uplift people, to take a bold risk, and go on a new adventure! One of the main themes of the movie, is the ability to start fresh at any given moment. “Thanks for the adventure. Now go have one of your own”, is Ellie’s final, posthumous message for Carl. She appreciates, and cherishes the time that they spent together. But what she really wants, is for Carl to find a new adventure. To find a new meaning in life, even though the love of his life has passed away. Isn’t this what you would want for your own family members, after you die? Carl Fredricksen goes on an adventure, just as Ellie asked him. He ties miracle balloons to his house, and floats off to South America. Cheesy and unrealistic? Yes. But the concept is absolutely delightful! Carl sets off on his adventure, and Russell inadvertently comes along. Russell does have an interesting story, and it is the reason for his social awkwardness. His father is no longer there for him, and it crushes Russell on the inside. His dad is ‘too busy’ to spend time with him, and any of his family members. His entire family life is slowly deteriorating, and he is just an innocent bystander. That is, until he met Carl Fredricksen. What makes ‘Up” such a great movie, is the clash of character situations. Mr. Fredricksen is old, depressed, and trying to figure out how to live after the death of his wife. Russell is just a young boy, trying to figure out how to live without the support of his father. In a way, they are both the same character, trying to figure things out. In the end, they develop a father-son relationship, that will be remembered for a long time to come. “Up”, is also a movie about letting go of your attachments. When most of the magical helium balloons have popped, Mr. Fredricksen is faced with a life changing decision. The only way to make the house float again, is to get rid of all of his old possessions. Everything that he and his wife shared together. After much thought and deliberation, Carl utters the most powerful quote of the movie: “It’s just a house!”. And that it is! Material items cannot hold any emotional possessions, unless we allow them to. All of the emotions that we have felt in the past, are still in our heads. A house is just a house. The difference between a house and a home, is the emotional meaning that you attach to your house. Only then, is it called, your home. By letting go of his house, he let go of his past. Mr. Fredricksen gave himself a clean slate. He was able to do this, because he knew that his wife would approve. The movie concludes with a beautiful moment shared between Russell and Mr. Fredricksen. We see the father-son bond between the 2 characters, and we know that everything will be alright. Is the ending too much like a fairy tale? Possibly. But that doesn’t detract from the powerful message of this extraordinary film: Life begins, and life ends. We will suffer tragic loss, and we will experience incredible wins. What’s most important, is how you will react to your tragic losses. Will you break down? Or will you seek a new adventure, after an old one has passed? Up Film Analysis Thanks for reading! Any questions/comments?

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12-28-2009, 07:44 PM	#2
CZAR Blu-ray Prince Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Camp Crystal lake 4K collection:72 Blu-ray collection:312 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:75	Yes I enjoyed up as well. I watched it last week and thought it was pretty good! Maybe not as good as people who say it should be up for picture of the year but still good nonetheless! PQ was exceptional on blu also! Got Em!!

12-28-2009, 07:51 PM	#3
P@t_Mtl Blu-ray Duke Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Montreal Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:452 DVD collection:513 Trading Score:3	Saw it last Friday on my friend HT. I enjoyed it. I would not say it's my favorite Pixar but it's easy a top 5 Pixar movie. Story was interesting. I found the story of Carl to be sad but also up-lifting. It was sad his wife died but you can also see he had a long happy life with her even if their dreams of travel never really came true. It was good to see how the young Russell help's Carl see that he had a wonderful life and he should continue to enjoy it and honor his wife memory. Like The Incredibles there were very much grown-up themes in this movie that might not be understood well by children but it's a very good movie for everyone.

12-28-2009, 07:52 PM	#4
mikejet Banned Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Los Angeles, CA Blu-ray reviews:5 Trading Score:29	Nice analysis but I think that after you watch the movie most of what you stated is pretty clear.

12-30-2009, 05:05 PM	#5
jono_0101 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Aug 2008 Location:St. Louis Blu-ray collection:164 Trading Score:7	i really enjoyed UP, i just saw it a few days ago, it was a really good story, some funny stuff in there as well as a lot of touching moments like when he finally looks past the page in his wifes book to see that she replaced the dreams of great adventures with pictures of her loving every second she spent with him (gettin a little choked up just writing it here), and i swear if my dog could talk, she would sound exactly like dug "oh yes, i would very much like to have that ball, SQUIRREL!!!"

12-30-2009, 05:52 PM	#7
Steelmaker Blu-ray Duke Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Chattanooga, TN Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:1	I liked Up but it did not captivate me the way Wall.E did. Plus I just thought the whole "house being lifted by balloons" was an incredibly stupid concept. I would've rather seen Carl secretly building some kind of flying machine to take off in rather than the balloon thing. Up was good but I think Wall.E was incredible!

12-30-2009, 09:54 PM	#8
Gaius Marius Power Member Member since:Apr 2009 4K collection:36 Blu-ray collection:594	Very good analysis! I loved Up, and the more I watched it, the more I liked it. It is my favorite movie this year and a very good movie overall. Of course it will get snubbed come award season because it is animated (aside from the Animation awards, of course).

12-31-2009, 06:28 PM	#10
indianajdp Active Member Member since:Nov 2007 Location:Central Hoosierland Blu-ray collection:74 Trading Score:7	Freakin' Pixar How in the world could they make me get so attached to a computer-animated character in just ten minutes that I would even feel a hint of emotion when she dies? That's just sick. This is the one Pixar film that interetsted me the least, and I held of seeing it this year until the kids got the blu-ray for Christmas and we watched it on the 27th. Just another amazing story from those folks, with many moments that might make you misty-eyed or truly laughing out loud.

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